Rear header for road vehicles



March 13, 1945. J J BLACK I 2,371,497

REAR HEADER FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed July 7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 13, 1945. J. J. BLACK REAR HEADER FOR ROAD VEHICLES Filed July 7, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0/ INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 13, 1945 v I, s s

as "PAT T" 2,371,497 1 BEAR nmnhnjron Roan VEHICLES i i James Black, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to r The-Trailer Company (if-America, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware App1icationJulyZ 1943, seriaindieassz h, i Claims. (01196 137) .p nv ention relates toa rear header {for "Figure 1 is a rear elevation of atypical road road vehicles such astrailerstrucks and the like vehicle, such as a trailer, with the rear header isparticularly concerned withthe construcof the invention in closed and locked position. tion of a rear header which is readily removable Figure 2 is a toppl'an view of the rear header frpm the vehicle to facilitateloading and one 5 closed and locked position.'

which can be utilized as a clamp to drawtogether Figure i's 'a' view similar to Figure 2 enlarged to vertical position the side walls of the vehicle. and with certain portionsbroken away to better In various types of trucks, and trai1ers,.particillustrate the details of the construction. In this ularly those of the open top construction, the rear w the ear header is likewise closed and header performs an important function in mainlock d 1 3 0 taining the general rigidity o ody, and par- Figure 4 1S a view'simila'r to Figure 3 showing ,ticularly in preventing the side walls of the vethe rearheader diseng ed atone end and in unhic1e from spreading outwardly. Since open top k dpositionvehicles are generally designed and utilized for Figure 5 is a sectional viewalong the line 5- loading from aboveas by a crane, it is frequently 1 Figure 3. sdesirable to completely remove the rear header Referringagain tothedrawingsfor a further as wellasthe various roof bows to iacilitatethe and more detailed description of the invention, loading of the vehicle. After the vehicle has in Figure 1 a typical roadvehicle of the type with been loaded it frequently happens that the side which the invention is adapted to be used, in walls have spread outward slightly sothat when -2 this instance a trailer, is indicated generally at the loading has been completed and the rear H1. The rear header shown in osition between header is again placed in position itisnecessary theupper rear corner posts of the vehicle is indito correct this outward, spread and bring the cated generally at. Side railextensions from walls back again to vertical position.

the cornerposts with which the header is adapted pose in the past have been cumbersome and diimembers 13 are rigidly secured as by welding ficult to remove and to reposition after loadto the side rail extensions at both sides of the ping hey have lso, to a large extent, lacked vehicle. Vertical shafts illre journalled in the function provided in the present invention these bracket memberS-- s v of exerting a strong and continuous inward pres- 3 1 The rear header l l comprisestgenerallv, a rail sure against the side walls. Inaddition, the portion which may be rounded on its upper structures of the prior art have been so arranged rear edge for improved appearance. Hook elethat when it is desired to remove them for loadments l5 whichmay beintegral with or rigidly ing urpose they must be completely removed. secured to the body of the header are positioned The instrumentalities proposed for this purto en ag h v been, i n ted at l2. Bracket- Qne of the objects of the present invention has at either end thereof and are adapted to engage been ,to provide a rear header structure which with the shafts |4 to hold the header securely canbereadily removed in its ntirety or which, in position. These shafts 14 may havea flatp n y, can b Simply detached at o n tenedsurface l6 extending along one edge toperand swung out of the way. a mit disengagement of the hooks when the shafts Another ob ect has been the provision of areal" are turned to the position illustratedin Figure' l.

header construction in which the ease o r mov l Latch rods I! arerigidly secured .tothe shafts I and reattachment has been greatly increased atone end thereof and are pivotal, outwardly so Another object has been the prOV -Ofa re that outward movement of these latch rodsaway header which canbe securelylocked i position from the vehicle body operates to turnthe shafts between the siderails so as tovabsolutely prevent to a position i whi h th h k may be disenoutward movement of the sides of thevehicle. gaged, Lockinglugs m;are'positigned' theire Another object has been the provision of a rear ends of the latch rods and are utilized to engage header construction which can beutilized as a these ends of the latch rods with the' body of the clamp to exert positive inward pressure on the rear header when the header is in locked position side walls to correct a spread which has occurred in the manner best illustrated in Figure 1.

during loading or otherwise. A lock bar I9 is pivotally secured at one end Other and further obJeCtS and v ntages will to an arm 20 extending inwardly from the rear be apparent from a further and more detailed deheader. It will be noticed that in closed posiscription of the invention when considered in tion (Figure 3) the point of attachment of. the conjunction with thedrawings in which: lock bar to the arm is offset laterally from the shaft. This is an important feature of the pr ferred form of the construction. At the other end the lock bar is adapted to ride in the slot 2! in an inward extension 22 of the corner bracket l3. Lock nuts 23 are positioned on a screwthreaded portion 24 of the lock bar to hold the should be pivotally inclined outwardly and the lock nuts 23 will be to the right of the bracket extension 22 because of the offset position of the point of attachment of the lock bar 19 and the arm 20 with respect to the left shaft. The lock bar i9 is then engaged in the slot 2| where it is adapted to ride. The railportion 25 of the header is then swung toward closed position. As the lock bar l9 rides toward the left in the slot 2| the lock nuts 23 engage with the bracket extension 22 and as soon as this engagement occurs the further closing of the rail portion 25 operates to draw together the sides of the vehicle body. As the right side of the rail portion approaches closed position the right shaft and header hook should be exactly aligned and can be closed without difficulty. The closing of the right lach rod and the engagement of the locking lugs i8 with the rail portion 25 of the header complete the locking. The lock nuts 23 are adjustable on the screw-threaded portion 24 of the lock bar and prior to the closing operation should be adjusted thereon to the initially correct position. After this position has once been deter-' mined, however, there should be no occasion for changing it.

In disengagement, the lugs, latch rods and lock bar are disengaged in this order and the header can then be manually removed. If it is desired I simply to pivot the header out of position rather than to completely remove it, the right hook only may be disengaged with the left remaining in closed position. The header can then be swung outwardly and the lock bar inwardly thereby completely clearing the rear end of the vehicle for loading.

It will be observed that the closing of the rail portion 25 of the header in effect exerts a direct pull of one side wall of the vehicle toward the other and, since the operation takes place at the upper extremity of the side walls, considerable leverage is exerted which is very efiective in correcting outward spreading of the walls.

As will be apparent, the device is simple in con- 7 struction, yet very strong and effective in operation. The attachment and removal of the header can be accomplished readily by a single person in a very short space of time. Obviously, there are various modifications and adaptations of the structure which, while varying in details, do not depart from the principles of the invention as herein described.

posts of the vehicle, latch means at each end of said rail member for engaging with the sides of the vehicle, means for connecting and disconnecting said latch means selectively, and a lock bar for drawing the side walls toward one another to facilitate connection of the latch means, said lock bar having an end thereof pivotally connected to an end of the rail member.

2. A header for road vehicles comprising a member adapted to span the side rails, latch means for securing said member to the side walls of the vehicle, one of said latch means providing a pivotal connection, means for drawing the side walls of the vehicle toward one another t facilitate connection of the latch means, said drawing means being secured to the spanning member and pivotally movable therewith whereby both the spanning member and the drawing means may be disconnected at one end and swung out of the way without removing the header from the vehicle.

3. A rear header for road vehicles comprising a rail member adapted to span the side walls of the vehicle, attachment means at each end of the rail member for securing said member between the side walls, one of said attachment means providing a pivotal connection, a lock bar likewise disposed between the side walls and connected at one end to the rail member and interconnected at the other end to the side walls of the vehicle, the point of attachment of the lock bar being ofiset laterally with respect to the point of attachment of the rail member to the side walls whereby inward pivotal movement of the rail member operates to draw together the side walls of the vehicle when the lock bar is in attached position.

4. An upper end rail member for road' vehicles comprising a member for spanning the side walls of the vehicle, attachment means providing a pivotal connection between one end of said spanning member and the corresponding side wall, means for drawing the side walls of the vehicle together to facilitate complete engagement of the spanning member with said side walls, said drawing means including a lock bar having one end connected to an end of the rail member, the other end adapted to be connected to the side wall'of the vehicle, said lock bar being operable from the inner pivotal movement of the spanning member.

5. A header member for road vehicles comprising a rail member for spanning the side walls of the vehicle, attachment means for securing said rail member to the side walls, one of said attachment means providing a pivotal connecning member with the side walls, said means.

including a lock bar pivotally connected at one end to an end of the rail member.

JAMES J. BLACK. 

